Ayman al-Zawahiri Calls for US-Based Attacks

Al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri issued his latest audio speech online marking 12 years and a day since the 11 September attacks of 2001. Zawahiri's speech is issued with the missive of calling for small-scale attacks inside the United States to "bleed America economically."

Zawahiri says specifically, "the weak point of America is its economy, which has already begun to stagger due to the military and security expenditure."

The concern of lone wolf attacks has been a high priority among intelligence agencies and insiders as these are infinitely easier to pull off, requiring fewer resources, and as a result are harder for authorities to identify ahead of time. Zawahiri references these as viable options, "disparate strikes can be done by one brother or a few of the brothers."

He does not leave out however, the call for large attacks in the US, "even if it takes years of patience for this."

Al-Qa'ida operatives have had long-standing goals of harming the US and other Western economies. Zawahiri further targets the economy, urging Muslims to refuse to buy products from the US and allies since money from those purchases helps fund US military action in Muslim lands.

"The Boston incident confirms to the Americans... that they are not facing individuals, organizations or groups, but they are facing an uprising Ummah, that rose in jihad to defend its soul, dignity and capabilities," Zawahiri says in praise of the April Boston Marathon bombing which took the lives of three and injured 264 victims. Ummah in this case refers to an uprising Muslim nation or community.